For me it depends on my weight. If I am above 123-125 lbs, I fast easily and naturally till 10 am- lunch daily. The heavier I am, the longer I can go without food without it bothering me, up to maybe 22 hours. I have done only one 24+ hours fast after the age of 23, and it was not something I would do again.

Given that the URL takes you to is a 'fasting forum for healthy divas' I would be *astonished* if the results were anything other than in favour of women fasting.

I think that in general fasting is something that women should be hesitant about, and not exceed 14 hours fasted (which means still eating two meals a day).

Men can be much more hard out about it (I personally find a 20hr IF fairly effortless), since we are less complex organisms hormonally.

Edit: looking at the poll, it seems fairly worthless as currently constituted. Technically you are fasting as soon as you have finished digesting your last meal, so if you think people should sleep at night without waking up to eat then you are ok with fasting. I think that if you qualified the poll to have the following options:

For me it depends on my weight. If I am above 123-125 lbs, I fast easily and naturally till 10 am- lunch daily. The heavier I am, the longer I can go without food without it bothering me, up to maybe 22 hours. I have done only one 24+ hours fast after the age of 23, and it was not something I would do again.

All and all, I just go by how I feel, and try to stop and analyse if I want food emotionally or physically before I eat.

Fantastic, it shows you do take into account your own biofeedback and you are pretty well connected to your body! Leida, you are an example for other ladies out there... Listen to your body, people say. But the actual "listening" takes a lot of mindfulness and practice. Well done you!

I read your last journal by the way. Very detailed and helpful to other readers. I hope you can get to share this with the female community, our Health Divas Forum need more Divas like you and we would be honoured if you could share your experience there too.

PeleoCowgirl - you couldn't be more right. Some people are sympathetic dominant and others are parasympathetic dominant. It's usually the latter group that do NOT do well when fasting. Whereas the first group (Sympathetic) is metabolically adapted to live on less meals a day, or just one meal, or no food at all with no ill or negative effects. Each diva is different!

However, there is something in common that ALL divas will experience when fasting... and that is a declining libido or lower sex drive. Whereas the opposite is for men. Theirs actually increases! Our gender differences when fasting are not properly addressed out there, except for a couple of Mark's blogs - READ HERE. That lack of information (both scientific and anecdotal) is one of the main reasons why we started the Health Divas Forum. For ALL divas out there to share the good, the bad, and the ugly. Boy, we (ladies) are a completely different species all together!

I only accidentally started doing it, before I knew what it was, but it feels natural most days, however I read, and not sure where, that women of child bearing years (that still WANT to bear that is) should not fast. That is SO NOT me.... therefore I fast.

So my vote for me would be yes, but that is JMO for myself.

@ Gopintos - It is correct to say that, unfortunately, the hormonal changes experienced by a fasting diva will mean a slightly decreased fertility. Some divas will lose their period. But others will NOT... they are the exception!

I know of an overweight diva who looked for a baby for 3 entire years... There was nothing wrong with her hubbie. Her Doctor told her you need to lose 5 kg (ca. 11 lbs) in order to conceive as she had an "inhospitable" environment for fertilization as well as a few cysts. When you have cysts your body needs a serious detox. The Doctor gave her a low calorie diet. Instead, she fasted for a week and lost all that weight in ONE go. A month later she learned she was pregnant! Her baby was a healthy big boy who is now 6 months old.

Again, we are different. There are rules, but there are exceptions too! Weight could play a role in fertility too. Overweight people could be as nutrient-deficient as a food-deprived person... Food for thought!

PeleoCowgirl - you couldn't be more right. Some people are sympathetic dominant and others are parasympathetic dominant. It's usually the latter group that do NOT do well when fasting. Whereas the first group (Sympathetic) is metabolically adapted to live on less meals a day, or just one meal, or no food at all with no ill or negative effects. Each diva is different!

However, there is something in common that ALL divas will experience when fasting... and that is a declining libido or lower sex drive. Whereas the opposite is for men. Theirs actually increases! Our gender differences when fasting are not properly addressed out there, except for a couple of Mark's blogs - READ HERE. That lack of information (both scientific and anecdotal) is one of the main reasons why we started the Health Divas Forum. For ALL divas out there to share the good, the bad, and the ugly. Boy, we (ladies) are a completely different species all together!

I fast almost everyday. I don't want to eat if I am not hungry so that means 18 a day fast. Also exercise when fasting. No issues.

If I do eat before exercise, I feel like total lethargic dog shite so I take breakfast days off.

@amdws1234 - You are not the only one. I know of numerous divas, including myself, who can function perfectly well on 1 meal a day. But again, as you say, it should feel right for you, and not forced. For any diva reading this that has never done it, one meal a day should NOT become your target, but a natural consequence of your natural circadian rhythm. Again, reconnect your mind and body, be mindful, listen to your symptoms and reactions. Unfortunately there is a lot of experimenting we need to do, individually, until we hit the right keynotes!

Really? Is that based on women of childbearing years or do you have data for others? I am post-menopausal and am feeling like a freaking cougar on daily IF plus occasional longer fasts.

@Paleobird - fantastic to hear about your own experience! I am curious, do you experience true "sex drive" on your fasting days? Or could it be that you feel lighter, sexier, joyful, enlightened?

Feeling lighter, "floaty", sexier, joyful and enlightened is something that most people will experience when undergoing long periods without food.

I call it "The Magic of Fasting", the surge of endorphins - the "love" chemicals thousands of times stronger than heroin. The reason for this high we feel is that "traumas" of any kind (including fasting) trigger an automatic burst of soothing endorphins. Endorphins are meant to silence pain. You may know of people who felt no pain for hours after a terrible physical injury. But endorphins can do more than kill pain. They provide the sensation of pleasure too. Euphoria, joy, the "runners' high" (when runners have run past their pain threshold). So effectively, I like to call this the "fasters' high". At some point during our fast, we experience this surge of endorphins... and an even higher dose if we exercise on a fasted state.

Some people find so much pleasure in this "fasting high" that love fasting regularly. In some cases this may actually motivate you to continue fasting for a longer period of time: yeah, bring on the next endorphin dose!

The other extreme of this is an anorexic diva, unfortunately seriously addicted to this regular endorphin surge as a result of her severe calorie-restriction.

Anyway, back to the point, even though most fasting divas will feel lighter and more joyful, that may not necessarily translate into "wanting" it... However, each one of us is different, thank goodness for that! And there is so much we are yet to learn about fasting. Stories like yours are what we want to hear in our Health Divas Forum. Do join us Peleobird.